Looking for some New Zealand family holiday ideas but not sure where to start?
We caught up with some Kiwi kids to find out all about their favourite NZ family holidays. From bike rides through Rotorua, to fish ’n chips at Back Beach and campervanning in Northland, these little explorers show us the best holiday spots Aotearoa has to offer.
Please note: Venue information was correct at the time of publication. Please check with individual venues for the latest opening dates, times, prices, etc, before making plans.
Go on an adventure with Cameron
Name: Cameron, aged 7.
Favourite family holiday spot: Rotorua to ride our bikes.
My favourite food experience: I loved waking up and going to the restaurant to eat as much breakfast as we could. We also went to Cobb & Co.
Most fun thing you did: We rode through the forest and went over jumps. We cycled some of the Hauraki Rail Trail on our way to Rotorua. We also went up the gondola and down the luge. My brother and I raced each other down the hill. One of the highlights of our trip was swimming at the heated swimming pools.
Plan your own trip: Cameron and his family made the most of their time in Rotorua by reaching new heights at Skyline Rotorua and eating at the family-friendly restaurant Cobb & Co. They topped it all off with a soak in the thermal pools at the Polynesian Spa. On the way to Rotorua, they rode their bikes along the Hauraki Rail Trail near Paeroa.
Explore new heights with Emily
Name: Emily, aged 7.
Favourite family holiday spot: Queenstown to do new things as a family.
My favourite food experience was: I loved trying new places for our meals but my favourite was Pub on Wharf.
Fun things we did there: We did lots of different activities but I really loved going down on the luge and racing against my family and then coming back up on the chair lift as I got to pull silly faces at the camera. We also spent time in Wānaka at Puzzling World which was very cool and then we got lost in the maze.
Plan your own trip: Emily and her family made the most of their time in Queenstown by taking on a range of indoor and outdoor adventures. They visited Skyline Queenstown for a day of luging before heading over to Cardrona to take a picture with the famous Cardrona Hotel. Queenstown’s Pub on Wharf does a great kids menu. They ended their trip with a visit to Wānaka where they had hours of fun at the wonderfully weird Puzzling World.
Head to Kaikōura with Toby
Name: Toby, aged 9.
Favourite family holiday spot: Kaikōura Coastal Track.
Fun things we did there: We got to see lots of nature and beautiful trees. When we got to the hut we played lots of games, such as Uno, snap, and go fish.
My favourite experience was: Walking through the forest. We also saw dolphins and seals. On the first morning there, we saw a beautiful sunrise over the sea.
Plan your own trip: Toby and his family went to the Kaikōura Coastal Track for a fun-filled tramp.
Take a beach trip with Bella
Name: Bella, aged 8.
Where did you go on your holiday and how did you travel? We went to Waihi Beach then Pauanui.
What was your favourite place to visit? Pauanui.
What activity was the most fun? We took the ferry over to Tairua to visit friends and played in the awesome playground.
What was your favourite food experience? Fish and chips by the beach.
What made your holiday special or memorable? We met our North Island cousins for the first time. We loved the flying fox next to our holiday house and walking to the beach every day!
Plan your own trip: Bella and her family spent time in Pauanui, took a ferry over to Tairua and made the most of the sunny weather at Waihi Beach.
Eat tasty treats with Jaxon
Name: Jaxon, aged 8.
Favourite family holiday spot: New Plymouth.
My favourite food experience was: Eating fish ‘n chips at Back Beach and also strawberry picking at Paradise Valley Berry Farm.
Fun things we did there: We went bike riding on the coastal walkway and stopped to get ice-cream at the Fitzroy Surf Lifesaving Club on the way back. We also went to see the Festival of Lights at Pukekura Park which was amazing! There was even a sleeping giant on a boat in the water that we could see from one of the bridges – it looked so real.
Plan your own trip: Jaxon and his family had a long weekend filled with food and fun in New Plymouth. They rode their bikes along the Te Huanui Takutai coastal walkway, had a cheeky ice-cream stop at Fitzroy Surf Lifesaving Club and went strawberry picking at Paradise Valley Berry Farm.
Go campervanning with Ollie
Name: Ollie, aged 5.
Places we went on holiday: In the campervan to North Cape and the Bay of Islands.
My favourite food experience: We ate fish and chips at Mangonui.
Most fun thing you did on holiday: We loved going down the sand dunes really fast. We got to sleep in the campervan too. We also went to the top of the North Island and saw a lighthouse.
Plan your own trip: Ollie and his family made their way through Northland in a campervan they hired from Britz. Exploring both North Cape and the Bay of Islands, they saw lots of exciting landmarks including the famous lighthouse at Cape Reinga.
See more:
- Explore Northland
- Where To Experience Māori culture
- Plan A Trip To Rotorua With Our Destination Guide
Written by Kidspot NZ in partnership with 100% Pure New Zealand.
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